CD Reviews

Norah Jones Not Too Late Blue Note/ 2007 ♥♥♥	Norah Jones’ latest studio effort reveals one of her deepest fantasies — that she enjoys playing for many teams, none of which she really belongs to. Her jazz influences are becoming more subtle from album to album, a disappointment for fans of her Grammy-winning debut Come Away With Me. There are moments, however, when her signature souljazz shines through, like the single “Thinking About You.” Her voice is consistently effortless and she never leaves her range, although her piano skills are almost entirely absent this time around as she opts for a folk approach, even reaching for the acoustic guitar on a couple of tracks. This is a departure for Norah, whose style was initially a combination of her signature breathy, seductive voice and minimalist jazz piano. Bassist Lee Alexander took on two challenges this time around — he produced the album and agreed to co-write the lyrics for most tracks with his boss, the latter of which probably drove him to a nervous breakdown. The collaboration between Alexander and Jones yields some catchy lyrics, but any time Alexander falls asleep on the job Jones seizes the opportunity to embarrass herself with amateur lyrics venting her frustrations with men, loneliness, and politics. Yes, politics. On “My Dear Country,” she plays a melancholic solo jazz piano tune (with a brief interruption by other instruments towards the end) and expresses confusion and anger at politicians, unjust wars, and confusing voting ballots (seeking out a potential elderly audience in Florida). Blue Note Records will have to administer rigorous sobriety tests for Jones before handing her the pen on her next album; then maybe she’ll avoid lyrical disasters like “Oops! I hit my elbow on the doorknob. It’s right there.” Jazz fans will be thrilled with “Sinkin’ Soon” — an oldschool New Orleans jazz tune, complete with a “mwhah! mwhah!” trombone solo. It has the most energy on an otherwise lifeless album. Nick MacMahon
NDU The Twilight Independent/ 2007 ♥♥♥1/2	There were times, listening to this album, that if I hadn’t known any better, I could have easily mistaken it for top 40-level hip-hop. I mean that in a positive way, just in case you were wondering. The Twilight displays a love for hip-hop as well as the talent to back it. There are occasional moments in which it seems appropriate to draw comparisons to heavy-hitters Kanye West (but without as much ego) or maybe Ludacris (without being as over-the-top). Once again, this is a compliment. Ironically, it was the moments in which the album’s lyrical content and beats steered closest to that of mainstream hip hop that I found to be the weakest. Granted, that could be based on my own personal preferences. At his best, NDU speaks strongly of world issues, fairness, pride (the good kind) and perseverance, with a belief in achieving something better out of life than what you may have. The album’s booklet is decorated with pictures of a shadowy NDU and a black panther (the animal, not the activist). These intense images meet well with tracks like “Forgive Them Father” or “Fed Up” to create something worth a listen. Fans of hip-hop will like it even more than most for it holds the potential to hold its own against an already packed genre. I hit on a key word: potential. This album, along with being many other things, is an example of great potential. With some more maturing in the musical game, NDU may soon forge an interesting path, as long as he keeps to his strength of positive ideas (see Chuck D or Sweatshop Union as accessible examples), and not just canned rap topics (see my review of Chingy in an earlier issue as an example of what not to be). There are a lot of tracks on The Twilight, and all are well thought-out and arranged. Check it out. William O’Donnell, volunteer staff
Scissor Sisters Ta-Dah Universal/ 2006 ♥♥♥ 1/2	Sweeping across the gay discos of Europe and North America is the latest from the Scissor Sisters. With a great sense of fun, ample wit, and plenty of sparkle (yes, sparkle), the Sisters deliver relief from redundant, mainstream pop music in the form of an almost complete throwback to the days of glam and discotheques (think Studio 54). The Sisters add to the playfulness through lyrical irony; by which I mean that the lyrical subject matter often steers towards death and other dismal topics while the accompanying beats and rhythms are bouncy and tongue-in-cheek. “I Can’t Decide” is a perfect example of this (and a favourite selection of mine). The jubilant atmosphere of Ta-Dah has earned lead single “I Don’t Feel Like Dancin’” (a song that has been graced with a piano cameo by confessed fan Elton John) a spot on the playlists of some European club orgies (don’t ask me how I found this out) — an honour I’m sure the Sisters would be proud to receive if they have ever heard about it. There is something to be said about intelligent artists who have complete self-awareness. The talent among the Sisters is apparent through their compositions, but what sets them apart is their willingness to project fashion-defiance while remaining somewhat fashionable, and the fact that they don’t restrict themselves to one single image. Combining the spirits of modern outsiders, disco queens of yesteryear, and perhaps something we may have not yet seen, the Scissor Sisters are worth keeping at least one eye on. At the very least, they don’t take music too seriously. William O’Donnell, volunteer staff